Water Scavenger Hunt!

Can you find all the things in your house that use water? There may be more things than you
think! Take some time and go around the house looking for anything that uses water! Try to
find at least 10.
List your things/appliances here:

Now that you found some things, what are some ways you can reduce the amount of water
your family uses? Write your water conservation ideas below and try to use them from now on!

Water conservation is important on Cape Cod because all our water comes from an aquifer,
where all our groundwater is stored. This aquifer supplies all Cape Codders with water, so it is
important to make sure there is plenty of water for everyone! The best way to do that is
through conservation.
 Water Word Search

Can you find all the water words in this word search? Try to find all the words on
the side! If you don’t know a word, look it up to learn more!
Across: 2. WaterCycle 4. Melting 8. Freezing 9. Evaporation 10. Estuary 12. Precipitation 13. Conservation 15. Sublimation
Down: 1. Deposition 3. Condensation 5. KettlePond 6. Pollution 7. Ocean 11. Brackish 14. Aquifer
Water Crossword Puzzle
 Walking Rainbow
Capillary Action refers to the ability of a liquid to flow against gravity in a narrow space or
absorbent material. For this experiment, we will be demonstrating capillary action by showing
how water moves between cups of water when connected by a paper towel.

Materials Needed:
Six small cups
Paper towels
Food coloring (red, blue, and yellow)

Step 1. Rip off six sheets of paper towel and fold each sheet in thirds lengthwise. Test the paper
towel to make sure it fits properly in the glasses. They should be able to go from the bottom of
one jar to the next without sticking up much in the air. If they are too long, cut off a few inches.
Step 2. Arrange the glasses in a circle and add food coloring to three glasses (red, blue, and
yellow), leaving an empty glass between each glass with food coloring.
Step 3. Fill only the glasses with food coloring with water, making sure the water almost
reaches the top.
Step 4. Add the folded pieces of paper towel by placing one end in the red cup and the other
end in the empty cup next to it. Continue around until the last paper towel was placed into the
red glass. Each glass should have two paper towels in it, as shown below.
Step 5. Monitor the paper towels, taking a look every few minutes to see when the colors move
up the paper towel. If it is taking a while, you may need to add more water.
Step 6. After about 5-7 minutes, the paper towels should be fully saturated with color, and
should start dripping into the empty cups, making a new color!

After about 20 minutes, your experiment should look something like the image below. Take
some time and make some observations about all the water levels, colors, and paper towels.

This experiment shows how liquids experience capillary action as the water moves up the paper
towels and into the next glass. Paper towels are made of plant fibers called cellulose, which has
tiny gaps between the fibers. Those fibers act like capillary tubes, which pull the water
upwards. This also happens in plants! Roots take up water and that water uses capillary action
to make its way to the leaves in the tree tops. Pretty cool!
It also shows how primary colors mix to create secondary colors! Don’t throw out those paper
towels, unfold them for a tie-die effect! Dry them out and use for future crafts.
This experiment is brough to you by thestemlaboratory.com where you can find lots of other
fun experiments too!
 Density Experiments
The density of water changes with salinity (salt). Density is measured as mass per volume.
When salt is added to water, the density increases. This happens because salt dissolves in
water, so mass is added without changing the volume. We will demonstrate this using the
experiment below!

Salinity
Materials:
Two cups
Salt
Food coloring
A tablespoon

Step 1: Add water to both cups, filling the cups halfway. Heat one cup in the microwave for 45
seconds.
Step 2: Add two tablespoons of salt to the hot water and stir until all salt has dissolved. This is
our “ocean water” cup. The other cup without the salt will be our “fresh water” cup.
Step 3: Add a few drops of food coloring to the “fresh water” cup, leaving the “ocean water”
cup clear.
Step 4: Slowly and carefully pour the “fresh water” into the “ocean water” cup. You should
notice the clear “ocean water” sink to the bottom and a layer of colored “fresh water” floating
on top!
The fresh water is less dense than the salt water so it sits on top. You can also practice density
experiments with objects around the house! Different objects will sink or float in water
depending on their density. Objects with a lower density than water will float, while objects
with a higher density will sink. Follow the experiment below to see what sinks or floats!

Sink or Float
Step 1: Gather some objects around the house. Some suggestions include: metal utensils, legos,
plastic utensils, sticks, cork, coins, crayons, stones, sponges, etc. Get creative!
Step 2: Fill a bucket with water. Discuss which objects may sink and which may float, and then
test your theory!
Objects that are filled with air typically float, which heavier, more compact objects typically
sink. You can learn more about these concepts here!
 Just Add Tap!

Here are a few easy breakfast recipes you can make with what is probably already
in your cabinets! These recipes can be mixed with water immediately or simply do
without the water and store for later use!
Pancakes:
Ingredients:
• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup nonfat dry powdered milk
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 2 tbs baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp salt

Mix Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, powdered milk, sugar, baking
powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Store in a large airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 weeks.
Cooking Instructions
1. When ready to make pancakes, preheat nonstick griddle to medium high heat.
For every 1 cup of pancake mix, whisk with 3/4 cup water. You can add
additional ingredients like blueberries and chocolate chips if you’d like! 1 cup
of mix makes 4 to 5 pancakes.
2. Scoop 1/4 cup of pancake batter onto griddle. Let pancakes cook until bubbles
form before flipping. Flip and cook other side until golden brown. Serve hot
with syrup.
Note: if you do not have powdered milk, you can create the mix without it and
use milk instead of water when ready to cook. This method increases the shelf life
to 18 months.
Homemade Instant Oatmeal
To make any of the following: add 1/2 cup of boiling water to the jar. Stir well,
cover, and let rest for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Mocha Instant Oatmeal in a jar
• 1/2 cup oats
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• Pinch of salt
• 0–2 tablespoons sugar, to taste (optional)

Orange Cranberry Instant Oatmeal in a jar

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon dried orange peel
• Pinch of salt
• 0–2 tablespoons sugar, to taste (optional)

Apple Raisin Instant Oatmeal in a jar

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/3 cup chopped dried apples
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 0–2 tablespoons sugar, to taste (optional)
Infused Water!
Water by itself can be flavorless and boring, but adding just a few ingredients can
really help you step up your water game! Adding fruits and herbs to your water is
a good way to add a refreshing taste and get some added benefits. Try these
recipes at home and feel free to experiMINT on your own!

For All Options:

3. 5 cups water
4. 1 cup ice cubes optional
For Strawberry, Basil and Lemon:
• 1/2 cup strawberries stemmed and sliced, fresh or frozen
• 5 large fresh basil leaves torn
• 1 lemon thinly sliced
For Honeydew, Cucumber, and Mint:
• 1/2 cup honeydew cubes
• 1 cucumber thinly sliced
• 10 fresh mint leaves torn
Blackberries, Orange, and Ginger:
• 1/2 pint blackberries
• 1 orange thinly sliced
• 1 (2-inch) piece ginger peeled and thinly sliced
Blueberry, Lemon, and Rosemary:
• 1/2 pint blueberries
• 1 lemon thinly sliced
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Pineapple, Coconut, and Lime:
• 1 cup pineapple chunks, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup coconut chunks, fresh or frozen
• 1 lime thinly sliced
Watermelon, Kiwi, and Lime:
• 1 cup watermelon cubes
• 1 kiwi diced or cut into circles
• 1 lime sliced into circles
Grapefruit, Pomegranate, and Mint:
• 1 grapefruit thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 10 mint leaves torn
Mango, Raspberry, and Ginger:
• 1 mango peeled and cubed
• 1/2 pint raspberries
• 1 (2-inch) piece ginger peeled and thinly sliced